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252: REMOVAL OF SEMEN
FROM A PARAPLEGIC IN
ORDER TO DETERMINE
ITS FERTILITY

ɳ Question

There is a question which occasionally arises, relating to the prohibi-
tion of emitting semen for naught. There are some patients who have
sustained injury to their spinal cord in road or work accidents or in
war, who would like to get married. These patients cannot achieve
an erection on their own since they have no control over the lower
half of their bodies, however sperm can be obtained from them and
fertilized through artificial insemination. There are women who are
prepared to marry them [and to a certain extent engage in martial
relations, for the wife is able to produce an erection in her husband
without his having an emission1] however, this is conditional upon
clarifying that she can become pregnant and have children from her
husband, even if this involves artificial insemination. The paraplegic
patient therefore wants his physician to test the fertility of his sperm.

There are two methods of obtaining sperm from a paralyzed
man: 1. passing an electric current through the anus to the area of

1. Further siman 262, we note that in order to have marital relations the patient
requires an injection that causes erection.

24 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein